DEA and the Surgeon General Issue Statements Regarding Marijuana

The key points raised by the advisory (and supported by significant research) include:

• Strongly advising that marijuana should not be used during pregnancy or by adolescents.
• Marijuana use during pregnancy can affect the developing fetus by, among other things, hindering fetal brain development and increasing the risk of lower birth weight.
• Likewise, marijuana use by adolescents causes deficits in attention, impaired learning, decline in IQ and school performance, and an increased risk for early onset of psychotic disorders.
• Marijuana is also still considered a “gateway drug” and its use by adolescents increase the likelihood of the misuse of opioids.

I found it interesting that, in addition to issuing the warning regarding marijuana use, Dr. Adams reiterates what the Food and Drug Administration has been warning the public about regarding CBD products,